Katelyn Kivel-Reporter

Editorial Team

Reporter

February, 2023
10+ years of journalism experience, ranging from science and technology to politics to gaming.
Indie Games, Final Fantasy 14, Community
  • 181
    articles
  • 1
    News
  • 266
    Features
  • 1
    Reviews

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About Katelyn Kivel

Katelyn has been a journalist for nearly 15 years, with focuses on science and technology, law, politics, and now the games industry. She's particularly proud of her work interviewing developers of indie hits just before they launch. In her career, she's interviewed game developers, researchers, business leaders, US Senators, and has broken news from game delays to election results.

Industry Focus

Katelyn focuses on interviews with developers of upcoming titles and creative forces within the gaming community. In particular, she's focused on the roleplaying communities in games like Final Fantasy XIV and Fallout 76, and the developers of upcoming cozy games, RPGs, and survival crafting titles.

Favorite Games

Katelyn is an avid player of Final Fantasy XIV with a frankly absurd number of alts. She's a devoted fan of Bethesda RPGs, GreedFall, Star Ocean, and more. Her favorite franchise, though, is the cozy JRPG crafting games in Atelier, which she runs convention panels highlighting.

Favorite Anime

Katelyn's an expert on yuri anime, presenting panels about queer women at anime conventions across the Midwest. In the genre, her top selections are YuruYuri, El Cazador de la Bruja, I'm In Love with the Villainess, and Magical Revolution. She's also a huge fan of the modern classic Frieren and the anime in Type-MOON's universe.

Latest

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"Please Slay the Princess" - Developer Black Tabby Discusses The Pristine Cut and What Comes Next

Black Tabby talked to The Best War Games about Slay the Princess, revisiting the game a year later, and the future projects they have cooking.

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What Developer Black Tabby Hopes Players Feel When they Slay the Princess

Players are conditioned to solve puzzles, but Black Tabby says that Slay the Princess is so much more than a puzzle box.

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Monster Hunter Now Carnival Interview: Niantic Talks Massive Events and Evolution of AR Games

The Best War Games speaks with a Niantic senior producer at Monster Hunter Now Carnival Shibuya about how the event came together.

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Niantic Producer Discusses How Monster Hunter Now Carnival Shibuya Came to Be

Mobile AR game giant Niantic worked with Shibuya to make its first Monster Hunter Now event a memorable and fun experience.

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Interview: Coffee Stain Talks Lizard Doggos, the Eiffel Tower, and Satisfactory's Future

After years in Early Access, Satisfactory launched its 1.0 version, but in a The Best War Games interview, Coffee Stain says work on the game is far from over.

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Satisfactory Dev Coffee Stain Talks How to Have a Great Early Access

Satisfactory is one of the triumphs of Steam's Early Access, and Coffee Stain reflects on what made it succeed in an interview with The Best War Games.

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Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company Discusses Innovation in Virtual Performing Arts

Jonathan Thomas of Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company speaks to The Best War Games about the performing arts, support from Bethesda, and more.

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How Amazon's Fallout Inspired Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company

Fallout 76's Wasteland Theatre Company talks with The Best War Games about putting on a performance of Richard the Ghoul, an adaptation of Richard III.

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Interview: Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader Dev Owlcat Talks Shift to Publishing Indies

The Best War Games spoke with Rogue Trader developer Owlcat about their new forays into publishing games, and how the studio constantly evolves.

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How Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Laid the Groundwork for Owlcat's New Publishing Arm

Owlcat Games is applying the lessons it learned self-publishing titles like Wrath of the Righteous to help indie RPG devs release their games.

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Interview: Squirrel With a Gun Developer Talks Outfits, Bosses, and Post-Launch Plans

In an interview with The Best War Games, Squirrel With a Gun's developer discusses everything from the lore of the Agents to the arsenal of the game's lead.

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Interview: Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P Reflects on Dawntrail, Teases Upcoming Content

In a The Best War Games interview, Yoshi-P talked about everything from login queues to his biggest points of pride for Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail.

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Yoshi-P Talks Representing Central and South America in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail

Final Fantasy 14's latest expansion, Dawntrail, contains heavy references and allusions to Central and South America in a very FF14 way.

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Expanding the Two Dye Channels in Final Fantasy 14 is Part of Yoshi-P's Community Philosophy

Systems to customize characters, perform live music, and enhance roleplaying help foster the various communities in Final Fantasy 14.

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Yoshi-P is Relieved Final Fantasy 14 Players Like Honey B. Lovely So Much

The design of queen bee Honey B. Lovely came from Final Fantasy 14 developers trying something new, and Yoshi-P is glad it paid off.

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Star Wars Outlaws Devs Talk Designing the Trailblazer

Developers at Massive detailed the design of Star Wars Outlaws' hero ship, the Trailblazer, and how it flies and fights across the galaxy.

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Star Wars Outlaws Devs Talk Making a True 'Galaxy-Spanning Adventure'

In an interview with The Best War Games, developers at Massive talked about their love for a galaxy far, far away and how it informed making Star Wars Outlaws.

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Cat Quest 3 Devs Chart the Course Forward for High-Seas Catventure

From the moment before release to what comes next, Cat Quest developer Gentlebros shared the course with The Best War Games in an interview.

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How a Fan Convinced Gentlebros to Add Gender Options to Cat Quest 3

From Grace O'Malley to Zheng Yi Sao, there is a rich history of women pirates for the Cat Quest 3 protagonist to join.

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Interview: Game Industry Veteran Eugenio Vitale Talks Career, Future With Knights Peak

He started by developing a motocross game while selling Italians their first internet access. Now he's Vice-President of Publishing at a new label.